these updates mean to your surgical site infection reduction efforts.
Q: Do AORN's updated guidelines (tinyurl.com/nwoohug) and the CDC's
long-awaited, soon-to-be-published revision of its 1999 SSI prevention
advice differ from what's been recommended before?
A: The CDC and AORN are in lock-step in what they recommend,
with both saying patients should shower at least 1 time on the night
before or the day of surgery with soap or an antiseptic agent. What's
getting the most attention in the infection prevention community is
that they're not recommending one over another. The soap may or
may not be antimicrobial. And this is saying, however indirectly, that
they find no evidence that chlorhexidine gluconate, for example, pro-
vides any more protection against post-op surgical site infections than
other cleansing options.
Q: You've conducted numerous studies on the use of CHG as a skin
prepping agent. How should infection preventionists reconcile the
previous evidence that's
been pointing to CHG with
these updates that de-
emphasize the importance
of an antiseptic approach to
pre-op bathing?
A: The focus for the
CDC's recommendation is
somewhat narrow.
According to the proposed
guideline we read, it's based
only on the available ran-
domized controlled trials
that were published before
a cutoff date in 2011. Now,
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February 2015 | O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
z CLOSE SHAVE AORN recommends removing
surgical site hair with clippers, but only when necessary.
